Cyclist fined for kissing wife during Tour de France

French cyclist Julien Bernard was fined for kissing his wife during a Tour de France time trial. The Lidl-Trek rider had to pay 200 Swiss francs, which is about $223 or £174, as per the International Cycling Union (UCI). The governing body stated that the fine was for 'unseemly or inappropriate behaviour during the race and damage to the image of the sport'. Bernard took to social media to apologize for 'damaging the image of sport' but also mentioned that he would gladly pay the fine every day to relive that moment.

The incident occurred during stage seven of the Tour de France, a short course of 23. 3km in the renowned wine region of Burgundy. Bernard was just 30 minutes away from his home when he encountered his supporters. As he reached the top of a climb, his friends ran towards him holding signs, and his wife stepped forward to give him a quick kiss while holding their son, who was dressed in a replica cycling kit.

Earlier in the race, Italian cyclist Davide Ballerini was fined the same amount for breaking the same rule. He had stopped to watch Britain's Mark Cavendish sprint to a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage victory. In a television interview after the stage, Bernard described the encounter with his loved ones as a unique moment in his career. He mentioned that he had pushed hard earlier in the stage to ensure he had enough time for the special moment. Bernard praised his wife for organizing the surprise with friends over several weeks and said that such moments keep him motivated in cycling.